Hearst acquires New Haven Register, Connecticut Magazine

The New Haven Green is shown from the roof of 900 Chapel Street in New Haven. Hearst has announced the acquisition of the New Haven Register, Connecticut Magazine and other daily and weekly papers, further expanding its coverage of Connecticut. less

The New Haven Green is shown from the roof of 900 Chapel Street in New Haven. Hearst has announced the acquisition of the New Haven Register, Connecticut Magazine and other daily and weekly papers, further ... more

Photo: Arnold Gold / Associated Press

Photo: Arnold Gold / Associated Press

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The New Haven Green is shown from the roof of 900 Chapel Street in New Haven. Hearst has announced the acquisition of the New Haven Register, Connecticut Magazine and other daily and weekly papers, further expanding its coverage of Connecticut. less

The New Haven Green is shown from the roof of 900 Chapel Street in New Haven. Hearst has announced the acquisition of the New Haven Register, Connecticut Magazine and other daily and weekly papers, further ... more

Photo: Arnold Gold / Associated Press

Hearst acquires New Haven Register, Connecticut Magazine

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Further expanding its coverage of Connecticut, Hearst announced Monday it has acquired three daily and eight weekly newspapers and their accompanying websites from Digital First Media, including the New Haven Register and Connecticut Magazine.

It marks the second Connecticut acquisition in the past year for Hearst, which purchased The Hour, of Norwalk, in 2016, solidifying its coverage of Fairfield County.

Hearst also owns the Connecticut Post, based in Bridgeport; The Advocate, of Stamford; Greenwich Time; and The News-Times, based in Danbury, in addition to six weekly newspapers in southwestern Connecticut — the New Canaan News, Darien News, Wilton Villager, Westport News, Fairfield Citizen and New Milford Spectrum.

The print and digital assets in Wednesday’s deal, which include The Register Citizen, of Torrington, and The Middletown Press, reach more than 470,000 households combined and 1.4 million unique online visitors, according to a news release. They extend Hearst Connecticut Media Group’s news operations, advertising services and audience reach across New Haven, Middlesex and Litchfield counties.

“The New Haven Register has a rich tradition for high-quality community journalism dating back to the Jackson family ownership era,” Hearst Newspapers President Mark Aldam said. “By connecting our current Connecticut media assets across Fairfield County with the New Haven Register group, we expect to advance enterprise journalism across southern Connecticut.”

Financial terms of the deal with Denver-based Digital First’s parent company, 21st Century Media Newspapers, were not disclosed.

Rich Hanley, associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University, said the acquisition ends the uncertainty that has plagued the Register for years on its future and where it will go strategically.

“The consolidation of the news industry continues,” he said, noting that it’s large media organizations like Hearst that can take on groups of this scale, which often result in shared resources.

“(Hearst) owns the southwestern part of the state now they have the central,” Hanley said. “It’s just the nature of news media in the 21st century to consolidate.”

The weekly newspapers in the deal are the Post-Chronicle, covering Hamden and North Haven; the Milford-Orange Bulletin; the ShoreLine Times; The Dolphin, in Groton; the West Hartford News; The Foothills Trader, in Torrington; The Litchfield County Times; and the Fairfield and Westport Minuteman.

The New Haven Register, which dates to 1812, is by far the largest of the newly acquired publications.

“It is in the city’s best interest to have stability and consistency at the New Haven Register going forward — it’s a vital cog in a democratic process utterly dependent upon an informed citizenry,” said New Haven Mayor Toni Harp. “Over the 40-plus years I’ve lived in New Haven, I’ve come to rely on the Register’s comprehensive coverage of the city and I welcome this new chapter in the history of the paper.”

Formerly owned by the Jackson family, the paper was later owned by the Journal Register Co., which in 2011 teamed with MediaNews Group to form Digital First. MediaNews is itself a former owner of the Connecticut Post. Connecticut Magazine, based in New Haven, covers news around the state and dates to 1971.

“This represents an exciting new chapter in the New Haven Register’s long history,” said Helen Bennett Harvey, executive editor of Digital First’s Connecticut group. “We look forward to working alongside the talented staff at Hearst to continue providing outstanding local news coverage and to becoming the leader in Connecticut journalism.”

Paul Barbetta, group publisher and president of Hearst Connecticut Media Group, will oversee business and news operations for the latest acquisitions.

“This will be an exciting time for all of us as we welcome our new colleagues and publications into our group,” Barbetta said. “Such an acquisition demonstrates our commitment to our brand and our company to readers, to advertisers and to the community.”